Life on Little Assawoman

We depend so much on weather forecasts and apps these days. But in our area, neither are very accurate. Paddlers miss out on some beautiful days on the water because they trust their app exclusively instead of trusting their own eyes. Maybe it’s time to stop looking at our phones for the weather, and just go outside and look up! Before radar and computer models, people watched the sky to help determine what weather was heading their direction. Mariners especially had to divine the meaning of different cloud patterns - their lives depended on it! It takes years of study and observation to accurately predict weather from watching the clouds. But if we, as paddlers, can recognize fair versus changing conditions, we can make good decisions about whether or not it’s a good time to

For millennia, the outside environment played a vital role in human survival. Whether they were farmers or fishermen or sailors, most people's lives revolved around the weather. Today, however, we go from our climate-controlled house to our air-conditioned car to our climate-controlled office and back again. The weather plays a very small role in our day-to-day existence. And sadly, most of us have lost the ability to read the wind. But for any outdoor activity, from sailing to pickle ball, the weather, especially the wind, is a major factor. Being able to read the wind’s direction and velocity, especially in water sports, can be the difference between an enjoyable, safe adventure, and a disaster. Before the days of wind meters and phone apps, watermen used The Beaufort Scale to communicate wind velocity. Developed in 1805 by

In our area, oysters get all the glory for cleaning our bays. But they aren’t the only mollusks in the ring. For filtering water and controlling erosion, Atlantic Ribbed Mussels do a lot of heavy lifting. Their name comes from the fact that they have ridges, or ribs, on their shells as opposed to the smooth shells of Blue mussels. Atlantic ribbed mussels can live up to fifteen years. You can determine their age by counting the ribs on their shells. You’ll find thick aggregates of Atlantic ribbed mussels along the muddy banks of the salt marshes in our inland bays. They attached themselves to the roots of the salt marsh grasses (and each other) with strong, silky fibers called byssal threads. Made of collagen, just one of these tiny threads is strong enough to

Sending your recent high school graduate to the beach for Senior Week is stressful. Of course they deserve some time to relax and play. But too much free time can spell disaster. Both kayaking and paddle boarding are great activities to get them out of the condo and away from their phones. These water activities will also help them connect to our coastal environment while making fun memories with their friends. Of course most teens will do the opposite of what their parents tell them to do. So tell them NOT to come to Coastal Kayak for a fun water experience! But if they do come to Coastal Kayak and mention the Senior Week 2023 offer, they'll get 30% off kayak and paddle board rentals during their Senior Week. (Good for on-site rentals only. Must

Welcome back, Daylight Savings Time! We have missed you! An extra hour after work to do something outside—it’s the best gift ever! Prep the garden. Clean up the yard. Take your dog for a nice, long walk. Go for a hike, a run, a bike ride. Walk on the beach. Watch the birds as they build nests and prepare for their coming brood. Plant a tree. You no longer have to wait for your next day off. Now you have time today!   I know, I know. This gift might not really be a true gift because it comes with a price. Losing an hour of sleep. It stinks. But maybe we can think of it as traveling to a different time zone. To a better time zone. And then staying in that time zone

When wanting to experience fall colors, the first eco-system you think of usually isn’t the salt marsh. However, it is home to one of the most spectacular autumnal transformations in our area. Salicornia, a small succulent herb, grows among the salt marsh grasses all summer long. The different greens of the marsh blend and you have to look closely to pick it out. But by mid-September, Salicornia decides it’s through being a wallflower. The hot pink starts at the tips of its tubular, fleshy leaves dabbed on, like little, dainty fingernails. The color deepens as it spreads through the plant—fuchsia, crimson, ruby. And before dropping off, the “leaf” becomes the color of a fruity merlot. This color display takes place in the fall, but it’s not necessarily because of the decrease in sunlight and cooler

Broken beer bottles, rusty mattress coils, knife-like shards of Quahog shells, fishing hooks, forks, spiny box fish skeletons, wafer-thin pieces of aluminum cans, barnacle-encrusted soda bottles, corroded spark plugs—we’ve found all of this and more in the shallow water of Little Assawoman Bay. Step on any of these with bare feet and there’ll be no more beach time or water activities for you for the rest of your vacation.  “But I don’t plan on getting off my paddle board,” you say. You can’t get from our beach to your board or kayak or sailboat without walking in the water. All of the aforementioned items were found within three feet of the shoreline.  And not all water entries are planned. Maybe your friend accidentally bumps you from behind, or a boat wake wobbles your board unexpectedly.

Here at the beach, you’re surrounded by water—the Atlantic on one side and the inland bays on the other. Of course you want to take advantage of it! But how do you decide between a guided kayak tour for your family versus having a kayak on your back deck to take out whenever you feel like it? The following are a few factors to consider that may help you decide: 1) How old are your kids? Grade school and middle school kids love our guided tours. They love to hold Horseshoe Crabs and turtles, learn about Osprey and Oyster Catchers, and see the marsh environment up close. But many teenagers appreciate the freedom of a rental, having their own space and their own time to do whatever it is teens do! 2) Nature Experience versus Water

A scavenger hunt?? Who doesn’t love a scavenger hunt?? We're now offering a fun activity to get everyone involved in your next paddling adventure. Did you paddle to Daisy Marsh? Spot a Great Blue Heron? See a Diamondback Terrapin peek up at you from below the water? Local landmarks, our feathered friends, the much maligned jellyfish - check off at least six different Little Assawoman Bay residents (bonus points for picking up trash!) and win a coveted CK sticker! But wait! There’s more! Post a photo of your CK Scavenger Hunt with #CKscavengerhunt to Instagram or Facebook and be entered in a weekly drawing for wearable CK swag or gift certificates to local businesses! A fun competition for kids of all ages and a great way to discover more nooks and crannies of our beautiful

If you’re staying on the water for your beach vacation, the best way to take full advantage of it is by renting a kayak or paddle board to keep at your house. Go for a peaceful sunrise paddle to witness the bay waking up; or end the day by watching the sun set over the bow of your kayak; send the kids out to work off some energy; or slip away for some me-time whenever the mood strikes. But not all water-access rental properties are the same. Before you make a reservation for your kayak or paddle board, you’ll want to double check a few details with your realtor or host. Here are some things to consider: Will you be launching from a dock, a ramp, a shoreline, or a bulkhead? Dock: Is it floating